Woodleigh bullets, any good?

[Mr. Zorg]

This has piqued my interest in the Woodleigh 7mm 140 grain Protected Point projectile as Norma doesn't offer a 7mm 140 grain Oryx projectile. Seems like the upper recommended velocity would be just right for my 7mm-08 rifle, but lacks the 1500 fps minimum impact expansion velocity of Norma's Oryx. However it's similar to Nosler's Accubond in published minimum impact velocity.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101056899?pid=354606

Pricing is very similar to Norma Oryx 7mm 156 & 170 grain projectiles, but Midway USA is the only source I've found.

I did find a few boxes of vintage 7mm Speer Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets which would be interesting to compare with the Woodleigh.

 

[CBH Australia]

Mate, if its a 7mm-08 go for it. Actually i havent used any of those but my first 200 rounds were factory Winchester to start and get some cases. I done some good shooting with them and dropped a fair few pigs
My plan was/is to use 120gn Nosler. As i use it from the car with a hastily assumed rest so minimal recoil and apparently .243 are no good . I wanted a 7mm-08 for a long time anyway.
My point the 140gn factory seemed to hit hard enough for the desired effect and hopefully a Woodleigh and others will improve on them.
If you are able to do some testing grt out and shoot. Let us know how you go.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

This has piqued my interest in the Woodleigh 7mm 140 grain Protected Point projectile as Norma doesn't offer a 7mm 140 grain Oryx projectile. Seems like the upper recommended velocity would be just right for my 7mm-08 rifle, but lacks the 1500 fps minimum impact expansion velocity of Norma's Oryx. However it's similar to Nosler's Accubond in published minimum impact velocity.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101056899?pid=354606

Pricing is very similar to Norma Oryx 7mm 156 & 170 grain projectiles, but Midway USA is the only source I've found.

I did find a few boxes of vintage 7mm Speer Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets which would be interesting to compare with the Woodleigh.

Mr Zorg
You can't go wrong with the woodleigh PPSP. Great controlled expansion bullet. The 225 grain PPSP 35 cal even expands well on 60 kg pigs and leaves big holes out the other side. I have also used the 130grain Woodleigh PPSP in the son's 308 308, absolutely flattens them.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Mr. Zorg]

Texas feral hogs are exactly the game I was thinking of WRT these 7mm 140 grain Woodleigh bullets. High BC bullets aren't typically required for such here.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I have always been 100% satisfied with Woodleighs at original verlocities in .375H&H, .404J .450-400 & .470 Nitro.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Texas feral hogs are exactly the game I was thinking of WRT these 7mm 140 grain Woodleigh bullets. High BC bullets aren't typically required for such here.

Mr Zorg
Might not be required all the time but dam handy when you need them. I always load for the worst shot at game angling or rear end. You don't always get a perfect side one so better to play it safe. Where my son and i hunt you get both hog and deer so the 130 grain Woodleigh will do both.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Timbo]

TIMBO
The mind boggles with all these new reinventions of the wheel as to what will last. Time will tell. If the 6.5x 55 was built on the same platform as the crudmore would there really be that much difference. The 375 Ruger and the H&H are for all intents and purposes equal. Is any thing really new? Or just reinvented
Cheers Tim
Bob

IMHO - all just reinventions of the already (old) tried and true mate!!

All I see in these reinventions, really, are just new ways to continue people's employment, which might - in itself - be the only valid means to an end.

Cheers!! "To us oldies"!!
Tim

 

[Mr. Zorg]

Mr Zorg
Might not be required all the time but dam handy when you need them. I always load for the worst shot at game angling or rear end. You don't always get a perfect side one so better to play it safe. Where my son and i hunt you get both hog and deer so the 130 grain Woodleigh will do both.
Cheers mate Bob

Bob,
Both Whitetail and Axis deer are widespread in Texas, as well as feral hogs. But unless you're up around the Texas Panhandle like @gizmo neighborhood maximum clear line of sight / line of fire is generally less than 200 yards and often less than 100 yards.

My choice for a mixed deer & feral hog hunt in 7mm would be the Norma factory 7mm-08 ammo loaded with the 156 grain Oryx projectile. The minimum impact expansion velocity of 1500 fps plus posts by others who have used the 7mm 156 grain Oryx projectile would give me more confidence the bullet will properly expand in both deer and hogs.

Way up in the Texas Panhandle has antelope hunting available but the season is only 9 days long - one week + the preceding Saturday and following Sunday. Shot distances can be significantly greater up there. There I'd take my .25-06 or.264 Win Mag with Nosler Accubond bullets with higher BC's. We'll see what happens between now and Texas deer & antelope seasons begin. I'd like to take one of my nieces who's interested in hunting to @gizmo's ranch but this year may not work out for multiple reasons.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob,
Both Whitetail and Axis deer are widespread in Texas, as well as feral hogs. But unless you're up around the Texas Panhandle like @gizmo neighborhood maximum clear line of sight / line of fire is generally less than 200 yards and often less than 100 yards.

My choice for a mixed deer & feral hog hunt in 7mm would be the Norma factory 7mm-08 ammo loaded with the 156 grain Oryx projectile. The minimum impact expansion velocity of 1500 fps plus posts by others who have used the 7mm 156 grain Oryx projectile would give me more confidence the bullet will properly expand in both deer and hogs.

Way up in the Texas Panhandle has antelope hunting available but the season is only 9 days long - one week + the preceding Saturday and following Sunday. Shot distances can be significantly greater up there. There I'd take my .25-06 or.264 Win Mag with Nosler Accubond bullets with higher BC's. We'll see what happens between now and Texas deer & antelope seasons begin. I'd like to take one of my nieces who's interested in hunting to @gizmo's ranch but this year may not work out for multiple reasons.

Mr Zorg
The Norma may well expand down to 1500 fps but even with the woodleigh PPSP at 1,800 fps that still covers a lot of territory out to at least 300++yards.
I like your choices of the 25/06 and 264 win mag. Both very underrated cartridges. I like using my 25 on hogs and deer loaded with Barnes 100 grain TTSX at 3,600++ fps. Absolutely deadly on both. I have fallen in love with my Whelen so use it for most of my hunting now.
Keep safe and well and happy hunting
Bob Nelson

 

[CBH Australia]

Mr Zorg, I’ve seen the 7mm08 mentioned a lot with regards to Whitetail I’m not sure but I think th Axis is aka Chital.
Do you know I the 156 ar commonly used by others or is it jut a personal preference? I was under the impression they ere not that big Nd I guess even a 70kg hog is likely tougher to kill and 140s seem to take pigs down when hit right. .
Limit experience with Fallow having he’d shot some nd taking a nice Buck wit his my .308. Being a rifle loony I have a dream to build a lightweight 7mm-08 as I formed an opinion years go its versatile for Australia. The .308 popularity would outweigh it exponentially. I want to build. Light 7mm-08 rifle. Probably a Tikka with a carbon fibre stock , just because and because I could carry it regularly walking its. With a view to clean up pigs opportunistically long the creek. Numbers re not great but don’t let them slip by and it incentive to walk.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

Bob,
Agreed, the Norma Oryx just gives me more confidence it'll reliably expand with deer, less resistance than a feral hog in general. I honestly haven't seen reviews of the 7mm 140 grain Woodleigh Protected Point bullet beyond what's on the Midway USA website. Guess that'll be a good insomnia activity - looking for more reviews on that bullet. Everything else I've casually seen in Woodleigh bullet reviews is for larger diameter higher mass bullets. But that's likely just conservatism on my part along with my preference to not take shoulder shots on deer. One of the Midway USA reviews is from a customer using the 7mm 140 grain PP in a .284 Winchester with 3000 fps muzzle velocity on Texas whitetail deer and exotics: Auodad and Nilgai as all one shot kills. What's not spelled out is targeting philosophy used by that customer.

As far as Norma goes, they never offered a 7mm 140 grain Oryx bullet, which is why the 7mm 140 grain Woodleigh piques my interest. So regardless of whether factory ammo or component bullets, there never was a 7mm 140 grain Norma Oryx bullet. I've seen generally high praise for the 7mm Norma Oryx bullets including gun writer John Barsness who said it most closely approximates the Bitteroot Bonded Bullet (which I have no experience with). I'm also confident I could use 7mm-08 ammunition loaded with 140 grain Nosler Accubond or Partition bullets or 140 grain Federal Fusion bullets for a mixed deer / hog hunt and have success as long as I do my part correctly.

My .25-06 has worked well for me on both feral hogs and whitetail with bullets in 110 to 120 grains so lighter bullets with decent construction undoubtedly puts Texas deer and feral hogs down. The 23.6 inch / 610 mm long barrel on my .25-06 rifle is fine in static hunting but less handy as a brush gun than a 22 inch/ 560mm long barrel on my 7mm-08 rifle or the 20 inch / 510mm barrel on my full stock 7X64mm rifle.

The future hopefully has plenty of promise for me to make use of all as appropriate at some point while health still allows.

What we know of as Axis deer in Texas indeed has the name Chital elsewhere. I'd like to bag an Axis deer next opportunity as even Californians my wife works with on business travel say the flavor is excellent!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chital

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/invasion-axis-deer/

 

[Lyleedward]

Great Bullets. Have recovered over 30 from buffalo. The older 300 gr 375 was a bit soft the swift was better for bit more penetration. We told Geoff about this and he makes a harder one now. I have found the same with the 570 gr 500ne. I made a off hand follow up head shot at 80 m. Hit below the right eye. Bull shook his head and took off and Died from first and second chest shot. Chest Bullets recovered as perfect mushrooms just under skin on the off side, but head shot only penetrated 8 inches too back of jaw And was fragmented. The Woodliegh solid tried latter went one end of bull to the other could have reloaded it.